This invention relates to the field of multiple electrical connectors and mounting blocks therefor. More particularly, this invention relates to a new and improved mounting block for wire formed solderless multiple connectors of the type shown in my prior U.S. Pat. No. 4,381,880, all of the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
My earlier U.S. Pat. No. 3,132,913 relates to a solderless multiple connector formed from continuous strips of wire formed and shaped in adjacent and abutting loops so as to receive and electrically contact electrically conductive wire between abutting sections of loops. The wire formed solderless connector shown in my prior U.S. Pat. No. 3,132,913 was intended as an improvement on and had several advantages over prior art clip type connectors of the type generally shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,112,147 (of which I am a coinventor) and which are sometimes referred to in the art as "66 Type" connectors.
My subsequent U.S. Pat. No. 4,381,880 is an improvement over deficiencies in U.S. Pat. No. 3,132,913. U.S. Pat. No. 4,381,880 relates to a mounting block for solderless connectors having a retainer and a body section which defines slots for housing terminal defining conductive elements. These conductive elements are formed from wire to define linearly aligned plural loops between which wires may be inserted. The conductive elements are arranged in uniformly spaced horizontal rows and vertical columns of terminals.
Unfortunately, the evenly spaced rows and columns of terminals described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,381,880 consume a great deal of oftentimes needed space. These connectors frequently find application in the telephone art where tight sizing and space considerations are quite common. A related problem deals with the vertical columns of terminals which are actually formed from a single looped conductive element. Because of the unitary construction, the plurality of terminals formed by the adjoining loops are all electrically connected therebetween. Thus, the ability to isolate individual connections may be severely limited since a multiplicity of terminals are integrally and possibly needlessly connected.
Because of sizing and space requirement in the telephone art, it may be desirable to improve the density of connector location in a block of given size. Also, it may be desirable to increase the number of unconnected terminal sites (i.e., sites unconnected to each other).